There’s something big growing inside Toronto’s EDM music scene, and right at the heart of it all are “Thugli,” a duo of electronic producers that consists of Pat Drastik and Tom Wrecks, who are gaining international praise for their work. Part of the reason for the hype surrounding Thugli is their unique sound which is a division of electronic music called “trap.” While other electronic music is fast-paced, trap operates at a slower rhythm of 70-110 beats per minute and often incorporates hip-hop vocals. The genre, which is quickly gathering popularity, allows for a lot of creative freedom and inspiration.

“We get inspired by all different kinds of stuff; a lot of indie rock, and a lot of rap too, but also our friends as well. We’re continuously working with Keys N Krates and Grandtheft,” said Drastik. Through their incorporation with prominent Toronto trap artists like Keys N Krates and Grandtheft, Thugli have been able to diversify their sound, and looked to show the crowd what the buzz is all about at the Starlight Social Club Thursday October 24. A day before their show, Thugli posted their most recent track, “Out Of My Mind,” to their SoundCloud page, which has already garnered 10, 000 plays and presents their own authentic sound with a dark tone, which they refer to as almost cinematic.

“Our favourite stuff has almost always had a dark vibe to it because that’s what we have always listened to,” Wrecks told The Cord. “One of our favourite movies is the ‘90s film Kids, and we often like to create music that’s derived from our favourite movies.”

Throughout Thugli’s entire set, they kept the crowd on their feet by playing a multitude of tracks that ranged between trap guru RL Grime’s “Pockets” and some of their own edits of well-known hip hop tracks that they have reimagined to be suitable club bangers. Recently the DJ Mag “Top 100 DJs” list was released, and it has since received much controversy from fans worldwide who claim that the predominant portion of the top ranked DJs are not ‘true’ or ‘real’ because they press a button and play off a laptop instead of using the traditional turntable method.

Controversy aside, Thugli prides themselves on their ability to use turntables during their live sets, and dismisses the questioning from fans that ask why they have not converted to the more modern set up. “When it comes to us performing on four turntables in any city while on tour, people look at us weird and ask, ‘why aren’t you playing off a laptop?’” Wrecks recalled. “But it’s more of a comfort level thing with how we have learned, and we want people to see the intricate things we do on stage and respect that.”

Ultimately, after seeing Thugli perform live and rock the crowd at Starlight with the perfect combination of melodic beats, drum and bass, as well as heavy drops, it is evident that there is a lot to like about the rising trap duo because of their versatility and originality. Expect to hear more from Thugli in the next few months as they are currently working on an EP with a few artists from rap and alternative genres. If the past popularity of their tracks is any indication of their future success, Drastik and Wrecks are only on their way up from here and will be seen a lot more in 2014.